Early Customs
Written by Keith Fudge

Recently, Dennis Gage had the opportunity to travel to Imperial, Missouri see a couple of early customs from the collection of Kurt McCormick.  These cars are extremely special, and not just because they are cool.  You see, there is a ton of custom automotive design history involved in each of these rides!  After he arrived, Dennis met Kurt who was flanked by a pair of stunning custom rides: a 1941 Buick and a 1941 Cadillac!

Starting with the Buick, Kurt told Dennis that this car was first customized by the legendary Tony and Joe Paisano and was later worked on by the Barris brothers, George and Sam!  Kurt then began to talk about the car saying that it was first customized in the early 1950s.  Dennis then made the statement that these custom designers in the 1950s were literally setting the rules of design! 
Concerning the car, Kurt told Dennis it had been chopped significantly, some 5 ½ inches!  Also in place was a pair of Appleton 112 teardrop spotlights that added one of the primo options of the era!  Other stylish additions include frenched headlights and molded splash aprons!  Another cool touch is the front bumper that is from a 1942 Lincoln.  On the interior, Kurt’s height led to some changes in the seats where he could sit low in the saddle so that he has adequate clearance for the roof of the car.  The rest of the interior features a 1941 Buick steering wheel, a chromed dash complete with Stewart-Warner gauges, and the original Gaylord headliner.  Under the piano-styled hood is a 331 cubic-inch Cadillac engine from a 1951 Caddy.  That wasn’t the only Cadillac connection as the car features a set of Cadillac hubcaps!  Kurt said that the car has been described as “sinister and sneaky.”  What with the beautiful day at hand, Dennis suggested that they “lurk” around the neighborhood and take this cool cruiser for a spin with Dennis behind the wheel!  On the drive, Dennis remarked that Kurt was collecting these cars when it wasn’t even really cool to do so.  Kurt told him the story that in 1968 he bought a customized 1950 Mercury from a car lot for $150 and even drove it home!  Dennis commented that the drive was just outstanding, and soon they returned to take a peek at another of these outstanding cars!

Next on the list was another 1941 classic, and this time it was all about Cadillac!  It was customized in 1948 by Harry Westergard (a man who mentored the Barris brothers).  Kurt said that the distributor for Indian Motorcycles in Sacramento, California originally owned the car and that it had suffered flood damage.  At that time, the original owner commissioned Westergard to perform the restoration, so that is where the customization began.  Dennis asked about the condition of the car when Kurt received it.  Kurt said, “It was a mess,” and it took a three-year effort to complete the body-off restoration.

Kurt then began to describe the car and told Dennis some of the particulars.  The car was chopped 2 ½ inches and features the grille and front and rear bumpers of a ’47 Caddy.  In addition, the rear fenders and taillights are from a 1948 Cadillac, and the fender skirts were hand made!  On the inside, Kurt followed the configuration of the original interior.  The vinyl interior is a two-toned combination of ivory and oxblood, and the dash has been chromed to give a really cool look.  The steering wheel is from a 1941 Pontiac and has been recast to look just like new!  Under the hood, this magnificent ride features a 1962 Cadillac 390 cubic-inch V-8 sporting and early 1950’s hot rod intake manifold made by Detroit racing.  There have also been some modern applications such as updated wiring, air conditioning, and the installation of a 700R4 transmission.  Since they had taken the Pontiac for a spin, it just wouldn’t be right to ignore the Caddy!  So Dennis climbed behind the wheel, and he and Kurt took a nice cruise around town!  After they returned, Dennis asked Kurt if he and the crew could book a return visit to see other cars in his collection.  To which Kurt replied, “Anytime you are ready!”  Needless to say, we can’t wait! 

That’s it from Imperial, Missouri.  So until our next visit, “Honor the timeless classics.  Happy Motoring!”